Banknote processing apparatus and banknote processing method

Abstract

A banknote processing apparatus including: one or more banknote storage boxes that store banknotes; an information management section that manages banknote management information including identification information for banknotes respectively stored in the one or more banknote storage boxes; a search information receiving section that receives input of search information including part of, or all of, identification information of a banknote to be searched for; a banknote search section that searches for a banknote matching the search information based on information being managed by the information management section; and a payout controller that effects control of feeding out and dispensing a detected banknote that has been detected by the banknote search section from the banknote storage boxes.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A banknote processing apparatus comprising:
 a banknote pay-in/pay-out port that receives banknotes inserted by a user, and pays out banknotes to a user; 
 one or more banknote storage boxes that store banknotes; 
 an information management section that manages banknote management information including a serial number for banknotes respectively stored in the one or more banknote storage boxes; 
 a search information receiving section that receives input of search information including part of, or all of, a serial number of a banknote to be searched for; 
 a banknote search section that searches for a banknote matching the search information based on information being managed by the information management section; 
 a classification section that classifies at least serial numbers of banknotes; 
 a banknote temporary holding section that temporarily holds banknotes; and 
 a payout controller that effects control of feeding out banknotes from one of the one or more banknote storage boxes, classifying serial numbers of the fed-out banknotes by the classification section, temporarily storing the fed-out banknotes in the banknote temporary holding section until a banknote with a serial number of the search information is detected, after the banknote with the serial number of the search information is detected, dispensing the detected banknote to the banknote pay-in/pay-out port, and thereafter returning the fed-out banknotes stored in the banknote temporary holding section to the one of the one or more banknote storage boxes. 
 
     
     
       2. The banknote processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more banknote storage boxes are detachably installed in the banknote processing apparatus; 
 the information management section is configured by a banknote management information memory section placed in each of the one or more banknote storage boxes; and 
 the banknote management information memory section for each of the banknote storage boxes stores the banknote management information of the banknotes being stored in corresponding each of the banknote storage boxes. 
 
     
     
       3. The banknote processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the banknote storage boxes comprises:
 a storage section that stores banknotes; 
 an opening and closing member that is provided in an opening portion of the storage section; 
 a lock section that locks the opening and closing member; and 
 an open-closed detection section that detects an open or closed state of the opening and closing member. 
 
     
     
       4. The banknote processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the payout controller uses the banknote temporary holding section, or one of the one or more banknote storage boxes as a temporary holding destination for temporarily holding banknotes; and 
 further comprising a temporary holding destination selection section that selects the banknote temporary holding section or one of the banknote storage boxes as the temporary holding destination when the payout controller is feeding out of the detected banknote. 
 
     
     
       5. The banknote processing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the temporary holding destination selection section re-selects the temporary holding destination when there is no longer any spare banknote storing capacity in the temporary holding destination that has been firstly selected. 
 
     
     
       6. A banknote processing method for a banknote processing apparatus comprising one or more banknote storage boxes that store banknotes, a banknote pay-in/pay-out port that receives banknotes inserted by a user, and pays out banknotes to a user, a classification section that classifies at least serial numbers of banknotes, and a banknote temporary holding section, the banknote processing method comprising:
 managing banknote management information including a serial number for banknotes respectively stored in the one or more banknote storage boxes; 
 receiving input of search information including part of, or all of, a serial number of a banknote to be searched for; 
 searching for a banknote matching the search information based on the banknote management information that is being managed; and 
 feeding out banknotes from one of the one or more banknote storage boxes; 
 classifying serial numbers of the fed-out banknotes by the classification section; 
 temporarily storing the fed-out banknotes in the banknote temporary holding section until a banknote with a serial number of the search information is detected; 
 after the banknote with the serial number of the search information is detected, dispensing the detected banknote to the banknote pay-in/pay-out port; and 
 thereafter returning the fed-out banknotes stored in the banknote temporary holding section to the one of the one or more banknote storage boxes.